Power Struggle Rocks Assemblies Of God As Pastors Fight Dirty Over Prized Enugu Asset

A renewed leadership crisis has erupted within the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria as two senior pastors, Rev. Okechukwu Obioha and Rev. Isaac Nnaji, engage in a fierce dispute over the control of a major church property situated at 35 Nanka Street, New Haven, Enugu. According to Ireporter Online, the clash has escalated into physical confrontation and prompted a police investigation.

The tension stems from a disagreement over who holds the legitimate mandate to oversee the multi-million-naira facility. Rev. Nnaji, who was recently assigned to the New Haven District headquarters, reportedly insists that his new role places the property under his administrative authority. However, Rev. Obioha, who has supervised the asset since 2021, argues that he remains the rightful manager based on a Power of Attorney granted to him by the Incorporated Trustees of the church.

The legal document, issued in August 2021 and endorsed by former General Superintendent Rev. Ejikeme Ejim, former General Treasurer Rev. Vincent Alaje and current General Secretary Rev. Godwin Amaowoh, authorises Obioha to take possession of the property and undertake all duties related to its management, including collection of rent and issuance of quit notices.

The conflict reportedly reached a boiling point on October 30, 2025, when Obioha visited the premises to collect rent from a tenant. He alleged in a petition to the Commissioner of Police — titled “Threat to Life and Malicious Damages” — that he was suddenly confronted by Rev. Nnaji and a group of men who warned him never to return. Obioha claimed the group attempted to assault him before passers-by intervened, causing panic and a temporary traffic disruption. He further stated that the assailants vowed he would only return to the property “as a dead man.”

The pastor said the encounter left him distressed and accused Nnaji’s supporters of acting with “impunity,” calling on law enforcement to prevent further escalation. Police sources confirmed that the Crack Squad of the Enugu State Police Command has commenced full investigations. Obioha was questioned on Monday, while Nnaji was invited for interrogation the following day on the orders of the Commissioner.

Rev. Nnaji declined to comment, saying only that the matter was already before the police. However, the church’s General Secretary, Rev. Godwin Amaowoh, firmly dismissed Nnaji’s claim to the property, describing the incident as part of ongoing attempts by “unscrupulous elements” to reignite internal crisis within the denomination.

Amaowoh reiterated that the disputed property belongs exclusively to the Assemblies of God Church, stressing that Obioha’s Power of Attorney remains valid. He condemned what he described as “thuggery disguised as district leadership” and vowed that the national leadership would recover all church properties allegedly seized during previous disputes, despite the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling affirming the authority of the national leadership.